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Fruity Fruitness - Mango Strawberry Jam

Summer fruity flavours! Right here on this photo you can see just a few reasons why I love summer. Fresh, local strawberries and juicy mangoes!

Something about summer that has you in a constant good mood and enjoying the fruits of the season. At our local market I bought a surplus of fruit and vegetables today and laying them out in my kitchen I could not help and smile at the wonderful colors and aroma.

The mangoes were ripe and a rich aroma lifted up into the kitchen from the Queen of Fruits. The strawberries - luscious and red screamed at me to eat them NOW! I had bought so many that I did sit back and enjoy a big bowl. I was wondering how I should prepare these and thought of the most fantastic idea. What about a tangy, fruity jam spread? I ran back into the kitchen and looked at the strawberries .... but the mangoes were shouting "me too, me too - Meeta!" Mangoes. Strawberries. Mangoes. Strawberries.

I grabbed both and went to work. I added a few surprising ingredients as I went along.

This is a versatile spread and can be used in so many ways. Fantastic when you can't be bothered to spend time in the kitchen when the temperatures are rising.

Ingredients:

1500g strawberries and mangoes - coarsely chopped. You can choose the amounts according to taste I tried to go for a more mango -ier taste so put in a bit more mangoes.juice and zest of one lime1/4 teaspoon ginger powder250g Sugar - In Germany we get special type of sugar especially for making preserves, jams and jellies which is what I used. I am sure normal sugar would be fine too.

Method:

Add the chopped fruit into a large hot pot. Pour in the lime juice and cook gently for approx. 2-3 minutes. Puree the fruit using the puree machine. I like a few fruity bits in my preserves so I pureed the mixture roughly.

Add the sugar and bring the entire mixture to a boil, constantly mixing it. Keep stirring for another 3 minutes. Add the ginger powder, lime zest.

Fill into sterilized jars and seal the lid tightly shut with a twist off lid. Place the jars on the head for 5 minutes. Once cooled refrigerate.

Verdict:Scrumptious in the morning on toast and croissant, scrumptious in the afternoon on muffins and cake and certainly scrumptious in the evening with vanilla ice cream. Hey and not to mention scrumptious in between, blended into milkshakes!

So you can now spend the summer on the terrace or balcony enjoying this spread in a variety of ways. I just hope you don't forget to cook!

I will be taking a jar or two over to my in-laws tomorrow. Their verdict and Tom and Soeri's verdict after the weekend. Yes, I had some already and believe me this is a treat for your family. The combination of lime, ginger and the fruit is rich and aromatic.

V.it was supposed to be 1/4 teaspoon. I'll be fixing that typo ;-) The reason one should turn the jars upside down is to allow the vacuum effect from the twist of lids to take place. If you make a large amount of jam in several jars it is the best way to preserve these for a longer period of time. My mum-in-law told me this trick. Before I only made smaller amounts but now make larger amounts as I know they will last longer,

*sigh* Sounds really enticing, especially in this heat! I really like the color of this spread as well. Very creative, Meeta! Question: How long can you keep these in the fridge? I imagine that the lime juice will act as a preservative, no?

Hey no kudos to me for guessing right??? SOb Sob!! The white background contrasts off your lovely pictures beautifully girl...and as usual you've done a great job- and I'm back to blogging after my trip and then falling sick after coming back!Cya around

Pam, thanks for that one!Payal, ours never lasts long enough LOL! But in a lot of recipe books I read with these special twost off lids it can last for 6-9 months.Nandita, you're the only one who noticed the new blog design! Shammi, do tell me what you think!

Looks interesting. A couple of questions, though: If it's vaccuum sealed, why do we need to refrigerate the jars? A properly sterilized and sealed jar shouldn't go bad for a very long time.

Also, how many jars does this recipe make? I've only ever made jams using the insanely sugary recipes that Certo puts out (basically your recipe, but reversing the amounts of sugar and fruit), so I have no experience with this type of recipe. It'll be nice to have a jam that's more flavor than sweetness, for a change.

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...